The U.S. government has designated a Nigerian national and three Nigeria-based firms for their alleged roles in facilitating financial transactions linked to ISIS. The sanctions are part of a global effort to disrupt terrorist financing networks operating across multiple continents.
By Rita Onuoha
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
The United States government has designated a Nigerian national and three Nigeria-based companies for their alleged involvement in facilitating financial transactions linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as part of a broader international counterterrorism action.
The designations were announced under the U.S. Department of the Treasury's sanctions framework and form part of a coordinated effort targeting individuals and entities accused of supporting ISIS financing activities across multiple regions of the world.
According to a statement issued by U.S. Department of State spokesperson Thomas Pigott, the latest measures affect three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa. The U.S. government said the network allegedly enabled the movement of funds across international borders to support ISIS operations.
Pigott stated that the designated individuals include a France-based facilitator accused of providing information relating to the use of explosives to ISIS supporters, a Syria-based operator alleged to have used cryptocurrency channels to transfer funds on behalf of ISIS associates in several countries, and a Nigeria-based facilitator whose money exchange businesses were identified as channels for suspected terrorist financing activities.
The Nigerian national named in the designation is Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, also known as Mukhtar Adamu or Muhammad Mukhtar. U.S. authorities alleged that he maintained links to ISIS-West Africa and operated businesses that facilitated financial transactions connected to the group.
Three Nigerian firms were also added to the U.S. Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. They are Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, registered in Lagos; Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, based in Kano; and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited, located in Lagos State. U.S. authorities alleged that the companies were connected to Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and formed part of a wider financial network linked to ISIS activities.
Other entities sanctioned under the action include Alkaram Danismanlik Gayrimenkul Ic ve Dis Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi and Spider Gayrimenkul ve Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi, both operating in Türkiye, as well as Bitcoin Exchange Agent Idlib’s No.1 Coin Exchange in Syria.
The U.S. government emphasized that the designations are intended to disrupt terrorist financing networks by restricting access to the international financial system and freezing any assets under U.S. jurisdiction.
The announcement also highlighted ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and Nigeria. According to the statement, Nigeria partnered with the United States in a military operation conducted on May 16, 2026, which reportedly resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified by U.S. authorities as a senior ISIS operative.
Pigott reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to combating terrorism through diplomatic, financial, and legal measures, while strengthening cooperation with international partners.
“We will continue to use every diplomatic and legal tool available to hold ISIS and its supporters accountable, wherever they operate and however they move money,” he said.
The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 13224, as amended, a legal framework used by the United States to target individuals and organizations accused of supporting terrorism.
ISIS, formerly known as al-Qaida in Iraq, was designated by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization in 2004 and remains subject to extensive international sanctions.
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